Kant Air Base

Kant Air Base is a military air base located in Ysyk-Ata District of Chüy Region in Kyrgyzstan, approximately 20 km east of Bishkek. Its history dates back to 1941 when the Odessa Military Aviation School of Pilots was evacuated to Kyrgyzstan. During World War II, the school trained 1507 pilots for the front. In 1947, it was renamed the Frunze Military Aviation School for Pilots of the USSR Air Force. From 1956, the school also trained foreign pilots. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1992, control of the air base was transferred to Kyrgyzstan.

In accordance with a bilateral agreement signed on September 22, 2003, the air base began hosting Russian Aerospace Forces units, officially opening on October 23, 2003. This marked the first new air base Russia opened abroad since 1991. In December 2012, Kyrgyzstan agreed to lease the base to Russia for fifteen years, with an option for an automatic extension for an additional five years. The primary unit stationed at Kant Air Base is the Russian Aerospace Forces' 999th Air Base. As of February 2023, the Russian forces at the air base are equipped with Su-25SM ground-support aircraft, Mi-8MTV5-1 helicopters, Orlan-10 UAVs, and include a unit of military police and military traffic police.